


Protégé

by R_S_B



Series: Sins of the Father Side Stories [2]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 05:25:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10870038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_S_B/pseuds/R_S_B
Summary: The beginning of Kathryn Janeway's relationship with Owen Paris.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This series of scenes documents the development of Kathryn and Owen's relationship, prior to the start of my Sins of the Father series. So this is another another part of that universe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of class.

Kathryn tugged on Ethan’s hand. “Come on, we should sit up front before the good seats get taken!”

Ethan resisted, being led only reluctantly. “It’s just a lecture class, it won’t matter that much.”

“But this way, it’ll be easier to get face-time with the professor! Commander Paris is supposed to be the best. He came off active duty just to teach.” She ignored Ethan’s sigh and sat down in the front row, near the middle. To her pleasure, he sat down next to her. _Success_. Retrieving two PADDs from her bag, one for the textbook and the other for her notes, she continued softer. “I know you hate it, but networking is important! Especially now that we are in our last year. It’s not enough to be smart. Everyone at Starfleet is smart.”

Ethan sighed again. “I know.” Then he smiled and grinned at her. “What would I do without you?”

Kathryn smiled back and nudged him playfully with her elbow.

He was starting to nudge back when a loud, clear voice interrupted them from the front of the room. The din of student voices quickly settled into silence and they all looked up together to see a tall man in a red command uniform and commander’s pips in the front of the room. His blond hair was greying at the temples and Kathryn thought the fine lines around his eyes spoke of the years of experience and wisdom he could pass on to them. But not like old Professor Ramirez, who seemed like he was probably about a thousand years old and hadn’t been in space in forty years. Commander Paris was still relatively young and rising in the ranks. He had _recent_ experience. He could teach them new things. Rumor was, he was supposed to have already been promoted to captain, but he’d turned down his own command to teach.

“Good afternoon,” he began. “I am Commander Paris and this is Advanced Topics in Astrophysics. This semester we will be covering a wide variety of topics.” He paused and looked around the room. “If any of you struggled through Introduction to Astrophysics, I do _not_ recommend that you continue with this course. We will _not_ have time for remedial study, and you _will_ fall behind. There are plenty of other courses offered at the Academy that might be better suited for your skills.” His tone left no room for discussion. “I expect the best from my students. You are all not only adults, but you are about to be Starfleet officers. In a matter of months, you will be responsible for the lives of your fellow crewmates. What you do _matters_. And I expect you to act like it.” He paused again, and this time it seemed like the room was somehow even quieter than it had been before, with almost every student silently second-guessing their decision to take the class. Everyone except for Kathryn, who just smiled eagerly.

No one moved, so the Commander continued. “Okay then. You all should have already reviewed the syllabus I sent you last week and completed the required reading. Today we are talking about helioseismology.”

Kathryn took meticulous notes, determined to absorb every detail. By the end of class that day, she knew she had a new challenge for herself.

This man _had_ to be on her committee for her senior project.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kathryn asks Commander Paris to be on the committee for her senior project.

The first time Kathryn went to meet with Commander Paris in his office, she was nervous but excited.  _It couldn’t be that hard to ask someone to be on my committee could it?_  She showed up during his office hours, so the door was open when she approached. She rapped lightly on the door jam and Paris looked up at her from his console, blue eyes taking her in and trying to place her.

“Cadet… “ he began.

“Janeway,” she offered, walking in and reaching out to shake his hand.

“Ah yes,” replied, raising slightly out of his seat and shaking her hand. His grip was firm. “From Advanced Topics in Astrophysics.”

She smiled and nodded, pleased he remembered her, and took a seat in the open chair across from his desk. Looking around, she saw that he hadn’t even finished moving into his office yet. The shelves were only partially filled and a couple of large boxes rested unopened in the corner.

“What can I do for you, cadet?” he asked.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about what you said about massive compact halo objects in the last class–”

“Are you having trouble understanding how to use gravitational lensing to detect them?”

“No, no!” she replied quickly, shaking her head. “I’m not having trouble, I was actually thinking about using the topic for my senior project.” She paused briefly. “Maybe you could be on my committee.”

His expression changed. “Oh.”

“ _Oh_?” Kathryn was a little taken aback by his response, but it was too vague to tell whether she should be offended.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll have the time this year to devote to supporting cadets through their projects.”

Kathryn frowned. Before she could stop herself she asked, “Well, why not?”

Now Paris looked taken aback, frowning at her temerity. “Teaching is full time work, Cadet. And in my experience, cadets need a lot of handholding with their research. I just don’t think I can commit to that right now.” He looked away from her and began to riffle through the PADDs on his desk.

 _Definitely going with ‘offended.’_ Kathryn sat up a little straighter. “I can assure you, Commander, I won’t need any “hand-holding.”

He looked back up at her, and she felt like he was sizing her up. She forced herself to sit still and meet his gaze evenly. “Regardless of how talented you are,” he began, “this work would be beyond anything you have done so far. _Everyone_ needs some handholding the first time. That’s the whole point. It’s a learning experience. If you already knew how to do this, you wouldn’t be here.”

She wanted to argue with him, but it sounded so reasonable when he said it like that. _There just has to be a way to convince him._ “Look, I promise to make it worth your effort, I really want to do this, I–”

Paris held a hand up and Kathryn fell silent. “Look, Cadet, I can see you are passionate about this. But before this goes any further, we need to talk about my expectations.” Kathryn brightened. _That sounded like progress_. Before she could open her mouth to convince him she could _surely_ meet his high standards, he continued. “First of all, you have to know that I’m not going to cut you any slack just because of who your father is. You sink or swim on your own.”

The accusation hit Kathryn like a stack of bricks. Her jaw clenched and when she spoke, her voice was low and cold. “I have always considered myself lucky to have the father I had. I have worked all my life so that I could serve Starfleet like he has. But I have _never_ expected anyone to to give me anything I didn’t earn.” Paris stared back at her silently and she continued. “I would have hoped you would understand that. Commander _Paris_.” She regretted the words as soon as they were out, but it was too late to do anything, so she shut her mouth and forced herself to meet the commander’s gaze.

To her surprise, Paris began to smile. He chuckled softly to himself and began to stand up. Kathryn wondered if he expected her to leave, but she was too confused to move. He turned around and began to unfold the flaps of the top box in the corner. He rummaged briefly through the box and Kathryn watched in increasing confusion as he pulled what looked like a small framed photo out of it. Sitting back down, he reached across the desk to hand her the photo.

Not knowing what else to do, she took it and found herself looking at a picture of what could only be his family. She recognized Commander Paris immediately, even if it was odd to see him out of uniform. Next to him was a woman with dark hair and brown skin that was obviously his partner. And in front of them were three children, obviously theirs. Kathryn was terrible at telling ages, having not spent much time with children. But she guessed they were maybe all around their early teens. She looked from the photo to the commander. “I… you have a beautiful family, I don’t… “

Paris smiled in amusement and took the photo from her. “I do,” he agreed. He held out the photo between them and pointed a the woman next to him. “Cadet Janeway, this is my wife, Julia Paris.” Kathryn continued to be utterly confused and she looked back up at him, desperate for some context or explanation. “I took her name when we married.”

It took her a moment to work through what he was saying. “ _Oh_. So you’re not… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed… “

Paris just smiled. “It’s fine. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. But… let’s just say it’s given me an interesting perspective. I didn’t have such a notorious name when I was at the Academy. But after we got married, that changed. I’ve spent most of my career as a “Paris.” And while no one in Starfleet wants to think they are doing something because of a name or a family connection, as someone who’s been on both sides, I can tell you, it makes a difference.”

“Really?” The possibility that he was right made Kathryn feel sick. She hated the thought that she may have benefited from her father’s name. Owen nodded and her stomach twisted. “So… what do you do?”

Paris shrugged. “When I actually know something is happening, I try to point it out and challenge it. But most of the time it’s not that easy to pinpoint something specific. So I just try to work hard to deserve the opportunities I’ve gotten.”

Kathryn nodded thoughtfully and stared down at her hands. It was a lot to take in.

Eventually Paris’ voice interrupted her thoughts. “So, Cadet. Why do you want me on your committee?”

She looked up at the commander and pondered her response. Deciding on complete honesty, she began, “First, my project would be in your area of expertise. Second, everyone says you’re the best. Third… everyone is terrified of you. I thought you’d challenge me.”

Paris quickly smothered a chuckle. “Well, they are right to be. It won’t be easy.”

Kathryn smiled. “That’s okay. I’m kind of known for doing everything the hard way.”

Paris smiled back briefly, then he picked up a PADD and made a notation. “Well, then, how about you tell me about this project you have in mind.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graduation day.

The first time Kathryn put on her Starfleet uniform as a real graduate of the Academy, she nearly cried. She paused as she pulled on her jacket. It felt heavier than her cadet uniform had been, but she knew it was just her imagination. She had zipped the jacket, readjusted her ponytail and looked in the mirror and it hit her all at once.

_I did it, Daddy._

When the tears rose to her eyes, she immediately forced them back down, wiping at her eyes in case any had already leaked out. _It’s not time for that now_ , she told herself.

Right now, she had somewhere to be.

* * *

They did it in her father’s office. The flag of the United Federation of Planets hung behind his desk as though to oversee the ceremony. Vice Admiral Janeway administered the oath, and when Kathryn repeated his words, she imagined she could hear them being spoken. not only by the rest of her graduating class, but by every commissioned Starfleet officer for nearly two hundred years. 

> _I, Kathryn Elizabeth Janeway, having been appointed an officer in the Starfleet of the United Federation of Planets, in the grade of Ensign, do solemnly swear that I will abide by the laws of the Federation and strive to live up to the principles upon which it was founded; that I will support and defend the Federation against all threats, both physical and metaphysical, foreign and domestic; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge my orders and the responsibilities of the office upon which I am about to enter._

When she finished, her father reached forward, pride and love in his eyes as he pinned a single pip to her uniform collar.

When he was done, he whispered “Congratulations, Katie,” and she couldn’t hold back any more. The tears were back in an instant, and she threw herself into her father’s arms, clutching him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her for a quick hug then pulled back and gave her arms a squeeze.

Before she could say or do anything else, the rest of her family was there with hugs and congratulations. When it was finally time to go, she felt a hand on her arm.

She smiled at her father. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry, Katie, I’m going to have to miss the rest of the festivities.”

Her stomach dropped through her feet. “What?” _He promised he’d be here. He said he’d reschedule things. He promised._

“Something came up. You understand?” The thing was, she did. When you were a Vice Admiral, you were never really off duty. If something came up, you had to deal with it. Threats to the Federation didn’t wait for his schedule to open. And she’d certainly had enough special events and family trips interrupted by his work. She was used to it.

_But he promised._

“Yeah,” she told him. “Of course.”

He smiled in relief and gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll try to make it to dinner, okay?”

“Yeah. Sure,” she replied. But they both knew he wouldn’t make it.

* * *

About an hour before dinner, Kathryn excused herself from the group to do one last thing. She’d been hoping she would run into Captain Paris at some point during the ceremonies, but so far, there’d been no trace of him. But the graduation ceremony was massive, and then everyone was all over the place for their pip pinning ceremonies, so it wasn’t that surprising that she hadn’t seen him. 

Most of the festivities had wound down by that point, so she was afraid he might have already gone. But she went to check his office, just in case. To her pleasant surprise, she found the door open and Paris inside, pulling a few things off his shelves.

His back was to her and he jumped a little when she spoke. “I hear congratulations are in order, _Captain_ Paris.”

He turned in her direction and smiled. “Kathryn! Congratulations.” Then he processed what she’d already said and he gave her bit of an abashed smile. “Thank you. But really, this is your day, not mine.”

Kathryn shrugged. “Can’t we all celebrate our accomplishments?”

Paris smiled. “I suppose so.” Then he returned to the items in his hands, placing them into a box.

Kathryn’s brow furrowed. “Are you leaving?” She paused thoughtfully. “Did they give you a ship?!”

Paris chuckled. “No, no. Nothing like that. I’m still teaching. But I’ll be out of the office most of the summer to teach Survival Strategies, so I wanted to take a few things with me.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

Kathryn had a smile on her face, but inside she was in turmoil. She felt like everything was shifting under her and she didn’t know where things were moving anymore. Before graduation, everything had felt so far away. But now she had to admit that her future was bearing down on her fast. She would be shipped out soon on the _Hawking_ soon. She’d have new senior officers, new crewmates; everything would change. It was with a start that she realized that this was goodbye to her favorite professor, someone that had become a real mentor to her. And it scared her.

She licked her lips. “Well, if you ever do get your own ship, you… you should let me know. Maybe I could do a rotation on your ship.”

Paris smiled at her. “If I ever do captain my own ship, you will be one of the first people I request, Kathryn.”

Her stomach twisted and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or nauseous. Maybe both. She gave him a tremulous smile then flung herself into his arms. Paris was frozen for a moment, surprised by the suddenness and the intimacy of the act. Then he returned the hug, enfolding her petite form in his arms.

“Thank you so much, Captain. I just-- Thank you,” she mumbled into his shoulder. 

Paris stroked her back. “There’s no need to thank me,” he replied, clearing his throat. “I’m just doing my job.” The gruff voice was counter to his gentle touch. 

He pulled back and Kathryn let go of him regretfully. “I’m sorry. I should really go,” she admitted. “I’m going out to dinner with my family.”

Paris clapped her on the shoulder and gave her a smile. “Have a nice time, Ensign.”

Kathryn smiled at the use of her new rank, then turned to go.

Just before she left, Paris spoke again. “Just so you know, you did. Make it worth my effort.”

His words nearly bowled her over. She stopped in the doorway and slowly turned to face him. But she didn’t know what to say. _How do you thank someone for taking a chance on you, for challenging you to do your best, for making you the person you had become?_

_How do you accept the greatest compliment that you had ever could have received?_

Giving up, she settled for giving him another smile.

He returned the smile. “Good luck, Ensign.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Paris asks Kathryn to join his crew.

The message came while Kathryn was at home in Indiana, visiting her parents. Well, mostly her mother. Her father had been busy as usual. The Cardassians had been making life difficult for the Federation, so he’d spent of lot of time in his office, putting out fires. But it was still more time than she usually got with him. And it was always nice to spend a little time at home. There was just something particularly relaxing about spending time at her parents’ house. She wasn’t responsible for anything, didn’t have to clean or cook unless she wanted to. No school. No work. **  
**

Pushing the family dog off her lap, she pulled her PADD out to check her messages, wondering what it could be.

Thumbing it on, the PADD notified her that she had a message from Captain Paris. Curious, she opened it and began to read.

> _Lieutenant Janeway, I am pleased to inform you that it has been made official; I will be the new captain of the_ Al-Batani _. We will be undertaking a series of missions to investigate various stellar phenomena involving dark matter, including massive compact halo objects,_ _and I will need the best science officers. If you are interested, I can process your transfer orders. And congratulations on the promotion. It is well deserved._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Captain Owen Paris_

Kathryn smiled. She’d been on the _Hawking_ for two years now. And she’d just gotten her first promotion, to lieutenant, junior grade. She’d been enjoying her work. But after two years, maybe it was a good time for a change. She knew she’d enjoy working under Captain Paris again. And it would probably be better to move to his ship than to stay under Captain Li. She‘d probably be retiring soon. The connections she’d make on the _Al-Batani_ would probably get her much further than her current ship could.

Tapping her PADD, she opened a new message.

> _Captain Paris, congratulations on the new command. I would be honored to accept a position on your ship._


End file.
